Book: The Mistress of The Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Krishna
Initially, I thought it was a disjointed, rambling, book. If you do too, have patience. It all comes together beautifully shortly and you will be rewarded with a great story for your perseverance.
It also turns out that this is the start of a series by the same name.
What it does well is mingle modern forensic concepts with a historical tale and does it very well.
Prior Gregory in a procession. He and the prioress do not see eye to eye. This is England in the Eighteenth century.
Scene change.
Henry II is livid with the collections from his realm not being enough. In the meanwhile infants are being murdered in his palace by someone. Henry II asks the Jewish administrator Aaron to find out who is killing the babies in the palace – failure to do so would result in expulsion of all Jews from England (which is one of the only safe havens for them in the world).
Scene change.
Gordinus, the African medicine man is met by Moredecai, the principal secretary of the King of Spain. Moredecai is furious when he learns that the worst possible escort is sent with Simon Menham of Naples when he was sent to England.
Scene Change. Prior Gregory is dying. Adelia, a medicine woman, is nearby. She decided to save the prior even if failure would mean their deaths with the antagonistic disciples.
It is enough to make your head spin. Finally, when Adelia tries unconventional remedy for prior who cannot pee and is in agony, the story really takes off. A bit.
They have come to investigate the child murders. She is an expert in biopsy to figure out how they died. When Sir Rowley turns nosey, she keeps him there helping her! Finally they realize that the killer must have seen them and then moved the bodies from where he had buried them, which is the limestone covered hill that they trekked through.
The additional background of a woman doctor masquerading as an assistant to a “doctor” who is really her assistant, due to the chauvinistic nature of England, the primitive beliefs of the local people which causes frustration to Adelia, her passion for medicine – all add considerable colour to an already interesting story.
She learns that the first boy was left on Chaim’s lawn – and they decided to get rid of it in the sewers out of fear that the Jews will be blamed – and got hanged for his pains. Question is : Why his house, which was well lit and was in the midst of a party, while several Jewish houses were in darkness and also more accessible?
She goes to a party decked up and resplendent. When she learns that Simon has been killed, the whole thing strikes close to home. She realizes that he has been murdered by being pushed underwater and held there until he drowned.
Rowley Picot reveals that he is also after the same killer, who had killed in Arab lands and was called Rakshasa as a nickname. Rowley is almost killed defending Simon’s grave from the zealous Christians and wins the love of Adelia. The story of Picot, how he left two hostages and found one on the tree and the other used in despicable ways by Rakshasa are fantastic. How he traces him to Cambridgeshire (the mynah’s accent!) is fabulous. Great book. Absorbing.
When Ulf goes missing, Adelia crumbles. Picot is injured in a melee and is saved by the dedication of Adelia and he realizes that he loves her.
Fabulous descriptions, amazing twist near the end when Adelia discovers the den of the Rakshasa where her beloved Ulf has been kidnapped and kept only to be knocked unconscious and wakes up chained to the wall. What follows is an encounter with a masked Rakshasa that is very creepy. She barely escaped and uncovers another treachery.
Even after Rakshasa was unmasked and killed, her battle to prove the guilt of the accomplice continues. When all else seems lost, Henry of Plantaganet makes a dramatic appearance. She refuses the hand of Rowley, the only man she loved, to continue tending to the sick but Gyltha solves that problem for Rowley by an ingenious piece of advice.
Very well written a fine yarn that includes strands of love, mystery all served up in a medieval background. Superb.
9/10
– – Krishna